


Call of Duty Ghosts: Brothers

by Intellectual_Homosexual_Logan



Category: Call of duty Ghosts
Genre: Action, Battle, Blood, Bonds, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Character Death, Character Depth, Death, Depression, Fighting, Gen, Ghosts, Hate, Hesh and Logan Childhood, Honor, Loss, Love, Pain, Pent-up Rage, Plot Twists, Protection, Revenge, Sacrifice, Sarcasm, Secrets, Soldiers, Some Humor, Values, Violence, War, backstories, brothers in arms, friends - Freeform, intense action, swears, valor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-05-28 18:45:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15055415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Intellectual_Homosexual_Logan/pseuds/Intellectual_Homosexual_Logan
Summary: In a world still ravaged by war, David Walker and his younger brother Logan are forced to step up after the death of nearly all the Ghosts. With only the two brothers, Keegan Russ, Thomas Merrick, and Kick Clien remaining, the strained Ghosts are faced with the vicious force of the Federation. Rorke is still gunning for them. And there's no foreseeable end for them. And as stakes get higher, more lives are lost, and the hope begins to dwindle, the Ghosts realize that they'll have to do whatever it takes to keep their world on its feet.





	1. Chapter 1

**4 June 2029**

**10:47:51**

_WHOOP WHOOP!_

The alarm blared throughout the aircraft carrier, and Hesh Walker sprinted down the hall, clipping on his vest as he ran. Coming to his brother’s room, he stopped in the doorway, panting.

“Logan! The carrier is under attack! Let’s move!” He stressed, and Logan turned to him, already in his gear as he loaded his gun.

“I know. I heard the alarm. Let’s go.” He said, and Hesh grinned. Logan followed his older brother through the hallways, both checking their guns as they ran. Slamming the door open, their eyes widened when they saw the carnage around them. Soldiers screamed for help around the deck, and burning jets scattered the landing way. Logan shook his head.

“Shit, when you said we were under attack you weren’t kidding…” He muttered, and Hesh stood for a moment with wide eyes.

“I had no idea it was this bad…” He said quietly, then a voice in his com snapped him out of it.

“Hey, if you two are done standing there, we could use some help on the South Deck! We got an incoming airship and multiple boats! Get your asses over here!” One of their privates, Trent Brenner, called, and the boys met eyes, then started across the deck. Hesh saw Brenner running towards them, and they met near the railing to the lower South deck.

Brenner shook his head. “It’s a shit storm out there! Logan, get down on the turret! Maron will cover you! Hesh, I need you with me! There are about twenty incoming boats that we can’t hold off on our own!” He exclaimed, and the brothers nodded, then followed Trent towards the edge of the carrier. Hesh jumped down to the deck while Logan climbed up to the turret, finding the airship and starting to fire.

Hesh focused his shots on the incoming soldiers, ducking down to avoid fire. He glanced over at Trent. “Why didn’t the attack show up on the scanners?! Weren’t we prepared for it?!” He asked and Trent shook his head.

“You got me! But all I know is that this carrier doesn’t seem like it’s gonna hold!” He replied, and Hesh frowned, then stood back up to continue shooting. He barely dodged out of the way of two shots, then ran along the railing of the deck, finding better angles while simultaneously avoiding fire. His soldier followed close behind him, also trying not to get hit by any bullets. Hesh then gritted his teeth.

“We don’t have any upper hand whatsoever. No advantage and nothing to hold against, but we have to defend the deck. If we let the carrier go down, hundreds of our soldiers will die, and we’ll lose a bunch of our fighter jets along with it!”

Spinning back, Hesh ran towards the edge of the ship, firing towards the incoming boats with Private Brenner at his side. Brenner shook his head.

“Walker, we need to regroup! They’re starting to cut us off from the main deck!!” He yelled, but Hesh shook his head.

“No! I already told you! We have to keep our fire on the gunship! If it stays in the air, we’ll all be picked off within minutes, and the whole carrier is gonna go down!” He shouted in response, then a shout to their right made them turn. Corporal Maron ran towards them, then pointed out towards the enemy.

“We got incoming birds!” He yelled. Hesh’s eyes widened as he saw the incoming chopper and its destined target. His gaze snapped to his brother, still at the turret.

“Logan, get out of there!” He shouted, but over the noise of the battle, Logan couldn’t even hear him. Hesh started towards his brother, but Brenner grabbed his arm.

“Walker, what are you doing?!” He yelled, and Hesh wrenched himself away from the Private’s hold.

“Logan’s in the chopper’s sight! But he’s focused on the airship! He’ll be hit!” He shouted quickly. Then the unmistakable sound of the choppers firing made Hesh’s pupils dilate in fear. His head spun to his brother, eyes wide.

“Logan-”

His voice was cut off as a missile from the bird hit the turret, rocking the area they stood in. Hesh’s heart stopped as he saw his brother thrown back from the hit, slamming to the deck, motionless.

“LOGAN!!” He screeched, sprinting over to him with Brenner at his side. Hesh dropped next to Logan’s still form, then rolled his brother over. Blood ran down his head from a gash at his hairline and a few drops spilled over his lip. His face was scratched and ashed from the explosion, but his chest still moved with breath.

“Logan!” Hesh shouted, but his brother still laid unmoving. Brenner put a finger to his com.

“Sergeant Logan Walker is down! I repeat, Logan Walker is down! South deck, 2nd platform! The turret is gone, and we’re getting hammered with fire from the incoming birds! We need reinforcements!” He shouted, and Hesh took a deep breath, then shook a bit as another barrage of fire hit the South wall.

He shook his head. “We need to move! We can’t wait for backup.” He lifted his brother over his shoulder, holding him tightly. He looked towards Corporal Maron.

“James! We’re moving!” He ordered, and the Corporal nodded, spinning away just as another bird flew by, letting loose another rain of bullets.

“Shit!” James yelled as he narrowly avoided a slice of metal blown from the fire. Hesh started towards the ladder to the main deck, still holding Logan with his life.

“I gotcha, Logan….I’ll get you out of this…” He muttered. Starting to climb, he balanced himself so that he could still carry his brother while also managing to make his way up. Brenner followed right behind him, and after him, Maron.

He had almost reached the top when a familiar voice shouted over the chaos, "Need a hand?”

Hesh let out a deep breath as he felt Logan lifted off his shoulders, then he climbed the rest of the way up the ladder to see Keegan holding his brother. A sigh escaped his lips.

“We’re in a bad situation here, Keegan! We gotta move our troops away from the South deck! It’s hit hard, and the oncoming fire from the birds isn’t going to do us any favors!” He shouted, and Keegan nodded.

“Merrick called in a helo retreat. It’s going to be on the North West deck!” He shouted, pointing across the carrier. “It’ll take us some work to get over there through the mess, though, so you better prepare yourself! The center deck is a shit storm!” He responded, then Brenner stepped forward.

“Well, whatever we do, we have to do it soon, sir! Those choppers are coming in for another run!” He pointed towards the enemy ship, and sure enough, there were five more choppers flying towards the deck. Hesh shook his head.

“MOVE!!” He yelled, gripping his gun tight as Keegan held Logan on his back. They started to run across the carrier through the wreckage. Hesh swung his gaze around, looking at all the carnage. Then a missile from the airship hit the deck, and it jeered, then suddenly started to tilt.

Brenner shoved Maron. “GO! We need to get to the helos! The carrier’s going to be toast soon!” He yelled, causing the four soldiers to start running. One of the jets started to slide down the slanted deck, and Hesh’s eyes widened.

“Look out for that Osprey!” He yelled as Keegan ducked under it, the wing barely missing Logan on his shoulders.

Maron then shouted to the group, “We got incoming Zodiacs!”

Glancing to the side, Hesh saw the enemy soldiers climbing up the Zodiac ropes attached to the sides, then finding the four in their sights. Brenner narrowed his eyes.

“I’ll cover us! Keep going!” He ordered, but Hesh shook his head.

“Trent, what are you-”

Brenner spun around, meeting his Sergeant’s eyes.

“GO! I’ll cover you!” He shouted again, and Hesh hesitated, meeting his man’s determined eyes, then turned to run after Keegan and Maron. Brenner then spun to start firing on the soldiers as the other three ran towards the helo precariously waiting in the midst of all the chaos. Stumbling back as he tried to keep after his friends but still shoot towards the enemy at the same time, Brenner’s breath quickened as he saw the number of enemies boarding the slowly sinking carrier growing.

Narrowing his eyes, he picked off more and more, glancing back every few feet to keep his gaze on his fellow soldiers. Seeing them further away, and realizing he had no chance against the enemies on his own, Trent turned and started to run after Hesh. Breathing hard, he pushed himself to catch up, then he felt a sharp pain in his leg, then his back, a bullet cutting through the edge of his vest.

He cried out as he stumbled forward, gritting his teeth in pain. He could feel the blood quickly wetting his thigh and his shirt, but he shook his head and kept going. Looking up, he saw the Ghosts and Maron reach the helo, then his Sergeant looked back for him.

“Brenner! Come on!” He shouted, and Trent nodded, running towards them despite the pain, every limped step he took more painful than the last. The warmth of the blood on his back concerned him, and he staggered a bit, flinching as his leg gave out and he fell to the ground. Hesh’s eyes widened, and he jumped out of the helo. Keegan stared after him from the copilot’s seat, headset already on.

“DAVID! What are you doing?!” He yelled at his friend, but Hesh paid him no mind. Running to Brenner’s side, Hesh bent down and picked him up, lifting him up onto his shoulder.

“Hang in there, Private. Your job’s not done yet,” He stated, and Brenner took a shaky breath.

“Yes, sir…” He murmured as Hesh ran back to the waiting chopper, struggling as the deck tilted more. Reaching the edge, Maron outstretched his hand.

“Come on!” He shouted, and Hesh grabbed his wrist, the additional help gratifying. Setting Brenner against the chopper wall, Hesh looked up at Keegan, then to the pilot.

“Get us out of here!” He ordered, and the chopper started to lift off. Turning to Logan, Hesh licked his lip nervously, but Maron put a steady hand on his shoulder.

“He’ll be okay, Walker. Brenner needs your help,” He said, and Hesh nodded. He moved next to Brenner, whose breathing had begun to dissipate, his eyes weakly holding half open.

“Private, keep your eyes on me,” Hesh said calmly, and Brenner lifted his head slightly to nod.

“Yes, sir,” He whispered, flinching as he moved even slightly. Hesh sighed, then moved closer, putting his hand on Brenner’s shoulder.

“I need you to turn, and I know it’s going to hurt so fair warning,” Hesh advised, and Brenner’s frown increased. Grimacing, he slowly turned his shoulder, exposing the blood stain on his back. Through his vest, the wound was unable to be seen, and Hesh sighed.

“Damn,” He muttered, then his gaze fell to the reddened pant leg. He reached down to put his hand on the wound, and Brenner flinched, shrinking back. Hesh immediately drew back his hand, then took a deep breath. Shaking his head, he met Brenner’s eyes.

“Okay, I know this is going to be painful, but we need to stop the bleeding in your leg right now.” Turning his gaze to Maron, Hesh frowned.

“I need you to wrap his leg, Corporal. There’s a medkit behind you, and there are some bandages in there. Make sure you stop the bleeding.” He ordered, and Maron nodded.

“Yes, sir. I’ll keep him with us.” He responded, and Hesh nodded, then gave Brenner one final glance before turning to his brother. With a heavy sigh, Hesh picked Logan up off the floor and held him in his arms as he sat against the wall. Wiping away some of the blood that ran down Logan’s face, Hesh sighed.

“Come on, buddy….stay with me….I don’t want to go on without you.” He whispered, closing his eyes. A hand on his shoulder made him look up to see Keegan had gotten up and crouched next to him. He met Hesh’s brown eyes with the icy blue of his own.

“He’s going to be okay, David. He’s strong like you. Not to mention he definitely fulfills your uncanny characteristic of stubbornness.” He said with a grin, and Hesh chuckled as Keegan sat down next to him. Keeping his hand on Hesh’s shoulder, Keegan looked down at Logan.

“Plus, if not the most important and sure of all, he has his big brother looking out for him.” He said, and Hesh’s lips turned up in a smile.

“Yeah. He does. And he always will.”

* * *

 

**5 June 2029**

**09:23:54**

Logan groaned, slowly opening his eyes, shielding them with his hand from the blinding lights above him. Blinking a few times, he tried to sit up but immediately fell back with a groan. He put a hand to his head, then took it away when he felt the bandage wrapped around. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, holding it gently. Turning his head slightly, the headache still pounding, Logan saw the vague outline of a person sitting next to him. Eyes still hazy from the bright lights, he blinked a few more times, then his view started to focus.

“Logan?”

The voice was soft and caring, and as his eyes adjusted, Logan found it was his brother sitting next to him.

“David…” He groaned, and Hesh nodded.

“Yeah. You okay?” He asked quietly. Or at least it seemed quiet. Maybe it was the ringing in Logan’s ears. Logan slowly nodded.

“Yeah...what happened?” He asked, his voice seeming hoarse. Looking around, Logan saw that he was in one of the singular medical rooms back at the base. Hesh sighed, then leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees.

“We were all on the carrier. You were on the turret taking down the airship, and Brenner and I were taking care of the incoming boats. Then Maron ran up, shouting, and we realized the wave of birds flying in. One shot towards the turret. I tried to yell, but you didn't hear me. Then the shot hit, and you were thrown back. You hit the deck hard, then Keegan and I barely got you out of there before the choppers sent another wave of fire towards the ship.” Hesh let out a deep breath, rubbing his face.

“I….I don’t know what I would have done had you been seriously hurt...or worse...” He muttered, then Logan chuckled a little.

Hesh glanced up, raising his eyebrow. “What?”

Logan lifted his head, then with a groan forced himself into a sitting position. Shaking his head slightly, he grinned.

“You wouldn’t have gotten very far without me watching your back, that’s for sure.” Logan cracked, meeting Hesh’s eye, and David stopped, then a smile broke out on his face. He shoved Logan’s shoulder with a nod.

“Okay, smart ass. Get some rest. I know you still have a headache, you took a pretty hard hit. But I’ll be back later.” He stood up as Logan slowly laid back down, then stopped before he walked out of the room. Glancing over his shoulder, he met Logan’s bright, sky blue eyes.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Logan.” He said caringly, then he left the room, walking down the hall. Logan closed his eyes as the smile kept his face alit.

_‘I’m glad I have you as a brother, David.’_

* * *

 

Hesh walked into the infirmary’s main ward, then over towards one of the cots. Sitting down next to it, he sighed, then met the eyes of the injured soldier laying in it.

“How ya doin’, Trent?” He asked, and the Private groaned, then shrugged with a flinch and an optimistic face.

“Better than I could be. I mean, I could be dead.” He then met his Sergeant’s eyes with a smile.

“Thanks.” He said. “Y’know, for saving me.” He pointed out, and Hesh nodded with a grin.

“Brenner, you’re a good soldier. I would risk my life for any of my soldiers, but the valor you showed by weighing the odds and covering us while risking yourself? _That’s_ the quality I look for in a man. I’m proud of you.” He said, and Trent’s eyes beamed. He then groaned again as he shifted slightly, sucking in a hard breath of air.

Hesh put his hand on Trent’s shoulder. “Don’t strain yourself. You took a bad shot in the side. But it should heal well. You’ll be back protecting us in the field in no time.” He said with a wink, and Trent chuckled.

“Yes, sir.” He replied, then slowly eased himself back down to the cot.

Hesh smirked. “Rest up, Brenner. We’ve got a full war ahead of us.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, this is something that I have been so eager to write, and I hope that all of you like this chapter as much as I do.

**2 days later**

**7 June 2029**

**13:03:47**

A knock on the door made Logan turn, then he smiled as his friend walked in. 

“Keegan. What’s up?” He asked, and Keegan hesitated, making Logan’s smile disappear. “Keegan?...” He said slowly, and Keegan glanced to the side, then sighed. 

“I found out the total soldiers lost in the carrier.” He said quietly, and Logan turned to face him fully. 

“How many?” He said gravely, and Keegan closed his eyes. 

“Two hundred fifty-seven soldiers died.” He murmured, and Logan’s eyes widened. 

“That many?” He whispered, and Keegan nodded silently. It was quiet in the room for a moment, then Keegan fell back against the wall. 

“Logan, I can’t bear to see anyone else die! I lost my entire team, and all the Ghosts are dead.  _ Gavin  _ and  _ Spike  _ are dead. The two people who were my best friends and who had my back at any point. They’re...gone.” He forced, and Logan stood up to walk over to his friend.

“Keegan…” He started, but Keegan turned his head away. 

“All I can think about is how I could have lost both you and David on the carrier. I nearly did, had you guys been on the South deck for two minutes more. I don’t want anyone else to die.” He said, then his fists clenched. “Scratch that. Every single Federation fucker in the world can bite it any time they feel free. I’m not going down in this war until I make sure that this ends. Rorke...he’s the one who started all of this, and I’m the one who’s gonna make sure it ends. I don’t care how I do it. Rorke  _ will  _ die.” He growled, and Logan’s eyes grew wide, then he let out a sigh.

“Keegan, you know that David and I will have your back the whole way. We always have, we always will. I promise. You’re our brother, Keegan. We keep each other safe.” He said, then smiled when Keegan’s eyes met his. Keegan slowly grinned, then nodded. 

“Yeah. I know. You and David are damn good soldiers. If I had to have anyone, I’m glad it’s you two.” He said, and Logan shrugged. 

“Eh, honestly, I think there are quite a few other good soldiers out there. And you’ll have to continue to put up with David’s attitude.” He said, and Keegan rolled his eyes. 

“Oh yeah. He’s certainly been… different...since the attack on the base, when the Ghosts were-” 

He stopped, and Logan nodded slowly. 

“Kee, I think we’re ALL different after that. We lost many good friends. And there’s no getting them back. But the few of us still here? We’ll fight to the last breath to avenge our fallen brothers, won’t we?” He asked, and Keegan nudged Logan’s shoulder with his elbow.

“You know we will.”

“And we’ll do it for Dad, Logan.”

Keegan and Logan turned to see Hesh leaning against the wall next to the open door, and Logan smiled.

“Yeah. We will. We owe it to him.” He agreed as Hesh walked over to them. He sat down next to Logan, then looked up at Keegan with a deep breath. 

“Is it true? The loss number, I mean. Did we really lose that many men?” He asked quietly, and Keegan nodded slowly. 

“I wish it weren’t, but yeah. We gotta be more careful, guys.” He said, and Hesh fell back on the bed, putting his arm over his eyes. 

“Yeah. We know. All the other Ghosts are dead, Keegan. We’re well aware of how things are going. We’re gonna die soon, whether we’re ready for it or not.” He muttered plainly, and Logan’s eyes widened at his brother’s bluntness. 

“Hesh…” He said softly, and Keegan sat forward a bit. 

“David, there’s something eating at you. Don’t say there isn’t, because I’ve known you too long to see when something’s bothering you. What is it?” He asked, and Hesh took a long deep breath, then propped himself up on his elbows. 

“All I can think about was that I almost lost Logan on the carrier. We almost lost Brenner and had you not shown up, you would have lost  _ us _ . I’m tired of all the people we care about being taken from us, Keegan. And I’m not going to put up with it much longer.” He revealed, and Keegan stared at him for a moment as Logan put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. 

“David, I know that it hurts. We both lost Dad, and then to add to that pain, ten months later Rorke wipes the rest of the Ghosts out in a surprise attack. Yes, our numbers are small, but just saying that we’re gonna die is setting yourself up for defeat. If you believe you can’t win, then you won’t, because you won’t even try. No, David. We’re all gonna get through this, and we’ll avenge the Ghosts when we put a bullet in Rorke’s brain.” He said, and Hesh started at him for a second, then smirked, reaching up to rub Logan’s hair. 

“You’re adorable when you try to be motivational.” He said, and Logan rolled his eyes as Hesh sat up. “You’re both right. We have to be careful, but while we are, we’re gonna take out the Federation one stupid Fed at a time if we have to.” He said with a smile, and Logan nodded. Keegan stood up, then offered Hesh his hand. Taking it, Hesh was pulled to his feet and met Keegan’s eyes. 

Keegan smiled. “I always got your back, buddy. You know that.” He said, and Hesh nodded. 

“You too, Kee. Always.” 

Logan smirked, then footsteps pounding down the hallway made the three look up. 

Kick skidded to a stop in the doorway, breathing hard, then his head snapped up. “We got a problem!” He stressed and the three soldier’s eyes widened. 

Keegan ran over to him with Logan and Hesh at his heel. “Kick, what is it?” He asked quickly, and Kick shook his head. 

“The Federation launched another attack! They’re right outside our walls, and we don’t really have that many men to cover! We’re screwed!” He exclaimed, and Hesh’s eyes shot open, then he pushed past Kick to run down the hall. 

Logan’s eyebrow raised. “Hesh?!” He ducked around Kick, who was still leaning on the wall, catching his breath, Keegan next to him. 

Logan sprinted after his brother. “David!” He stopped in front of David’s room, then raised his eyebrow when he saw Hesh pulling on his jacket and clipping on his vest. He looked up at Logan, then nodded back down the hall. 

“Grab your gear. Looks like we’re needed a lot sooner than thought.” He said, and Logan met his eye, then turned back down the hall. He caught up with Keegan, who was running down to find him. He stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. 

“Logan, what are you doing?” He asked, and Logan met his eye determinedly. 

“It’s our turn to get out there and fight, Keegan. Get your gear ready, then move out.” He said, and Keegan’s eyebrow raised. Then he turned when he heard footsteps behind him to see Hesh walk up, his gun in his hands and gear strapped to his vest. 

Hesh met his eyes. “I said it before, Keegan. We’re gonna take out the Federation one soldier at a time. And it seems like there’s a large group right outside our walls ripe for the picking. As Logan told you, our numbers are small. So we’re the last line of defense and the best bet against these bastards. Now get moving. We have a fight waiting for us.”

* * *

 

 

**5 minutes later**

The brothers drove down the road in the back of a truck, Keegan next to them. Hesh looked up and met his brother’s eye. Logan was looking down at his gun with a flat face, then Hesh nudged his leg with his boot. Logan looked up, and David gave him a slight smirk. 

“Hey. I’ve got your back.” He said, and Logan smiled. Keegan stood up, then ducked down again. 

“We’re nearing the fight. Gear up, guys.” He said, and Hesh and Logan both readied their guns. They could hear the blazing of guns and yell of soldiers, then the truck stopped, and Kick jumped out. 

“Let’s move!” He shouted, and the three vaulted over the back and ran down the road. He could see their soldiers fighting hard against the swarm of Federation soldiers advancing on them. But they were still dropping fast. 

Hesh shook his head. “COME ON!!” He shouted to the others, sprinting to join his men. He saw James Maron ducked behind an overturned car, and Hesh slid to avoid a shot, ducking right next to Maron. The Corporal looked up, then his eyes widened. 

“I was wondering when you guys were going to show up!” He voiced, and Hesh smirked. 

“We got your back.” He said, then stood up to start shooting. Felling soldier after soldier, Hesh’s determined eyes never ceased. He looked to his left to see Keegan and Logan fighting together, then his eyes raised to an outcropping above them. He raised his eyebrow, then he looked back down at them. 

“KEEGAN!!” He called, and his friend looked up. Hesh pointed above him to the outcropping. “GET UP THERE AND COVER US!!” He said, and Keegan nodded, clipping his ACR to his belt and climbing up to swing his rifle around. 

Hesh then glanced down again, looked around, then sprinted to his brother. He crouched next to him, and Logan met his eyes. 

“What is it?” He asked, and Hesh took a deep breath. 

“At this rate, the Federation will overrun us in no time. We have to go on the offensive.” He said, and Logan looked back up at the advancing Spanish soldiers, then back down to his brother with a nod. 

“What’s our move?” He asked, and Hesh pointed down the road. 

“There’s a small gap in the forces down there. We make our way there and take them out.” He explained. Logan took a breath, then nodded. He and Hesh started to run down the road, sure to keep inconspicuous to the forces. They started to pass the front soldiers, and Logan’s heart beat faster. Hesh stopped him behind a scorched car, then nodded. 

“You ready?” He whispered, and his little brother nodded. David put his hand on Logan's shoulder. “Remember. I’ve got your back.” He said, and Logan met his eyes, then they both turned to the Fed soldiers. Hesh raised his gun, took a deep breath, then started to fire. 

The few around them dropped immediately, then more Feds turned as they were alerted to the threat. Logan gripped his gun tightly, firing into the soldiers. Then his eyes swept around and saw the Federation soldiers starting to circle them, but not shooting at them. He raised his eyebrow, concern growing. 

“Um, David?” He said slowly, and Hesh stopped firing for a moment. 

“What?!” Then he too realized that none of the soldiers were firing back. Instead, they were surrounding them, glaring at the two young men. “Oh, shit…” He muttered under his breath.

Hesh straightened his gaze as he stood at his brother’s back, fighting alongside him. 

Logan turned over his shoulder.  “Hesh, we need to get out of here!” He shouted, and Hesh narrowed his eyes at the many Federation soldiers that surrounded them. He took a deep breath. 

“I know! But we can’t just run. We’re outnumbered far too many to one, and there’s not really anywhere we could even go!” He replied, and Logan shook his head. 

“Well, we can’t just sit here in a standoff!”

Hesh smirked. 

“Who said it was a standoff?” He fired his gun, narrowing his eyes as he held down the trigger. Beside him, Logan shot at the enemy relentlessly, narrowly dodging bullets as they fired back. A bullet grazed Hesh’s arm, nearly hitting Logan. 

“Watch yourself! The fire’s coming from everywhere!” Hesh shouted to his little brother, then he cried out as a bullet dug itself into his back, ripping into him. Logan’s eyes widened.

“DAVID!” He screeched as his brother fell to the ground, then he narrowed his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he fired maliciously into the oncoming soldiers, tearing them apart. Then a shot rang out, and one of the soldiers running at Logan fell, blood running down his face from the hole in his skull. Another shot and another fell. Logan followed the track of the bullet to find the muzzle of a sniper rifle, and he smirked. Over his com, he then heard the familiar voice, 

“I’ve got the rest, Logan. Help your brother!” Keegan said as he fired again. Logan nodded, then his gaze dropped to his brother, laying on the ground. His eyes filled with fear as he dashed over to him. As Logan knelt down next to Hesh, his brother groaned, slowly lifting himself to lean on his elbow. 

“Shit….that hurt….” He uttered through gritted teeth, then he looked up into his younger brother’s concerned eyes. 

“Logan?” 

Logan shook his head, taking a deep breath. 

“Come on, David, we have to get out of here.” He told, and Hesh nodded. 

“Yeah…..got it…” He said forcefully as he slowly pushed himself into a standing position. When he stood up fully, his head reeled, his body swaying. He groaned as he put a hand to his head, and Logan caught him as he almost fell again. 

“David!” 

Hesh shook his head, blinking a few times. 

“I’m fine, Logan…” He muttered, pushing away from Logan to stand on his own, ignoring the screaming pain in his back, or the blood that dripped down it, unnoticeable to Logan. Taking a deep breath, he took his gun from Logan, then nodded at his brother. 

“Okay. Let’s go.” He stated with a heavy breath, starting down the road, gun at the ready. As he and Logan ran towards the rest of their troops, Hesh’s sight started to blur. He tried to blink it back, then he stumbled a bit, blind from pain. Logan’s worry began to grow. 

“David?” 

Hesh then stumbled again, falling to the ground, breathing hard. Logan’s eyes widened, and he dropped his gun to skid next to his brother. 

“David! Are you oka-” 

Logan’s voice stopped when he saw Hesh’s hand held on his stomach and the blood that dripped through his fingers. His eyes grew wide. 

“David….” He uttered quietly. Hesh tried to say something, but no words came out. Only blood. It ran down his chin, making Logan’s concern worsen.

“..No…David…..” The sound of footsteps behind them made Logan immediately swing his gun around, but he dropped it when Keegan’s hands flew up in surrender. 

“Woah! Logan, it’s  _ me _ !” He shouted, and Logan nodded shakily, then turned back to Hesh. Keegan ran to his side, then knelt down. 

“Shit…” He muttered, seeing the blood that coated Hesh’s hand and his stomach. Then he saw the blood stain on Hesh’s back, and his eyes widened. 

“This isn’t good, Logan,” He said worriedly with a serious face. 

Logan’s eyes widened. 

“What? What isn’t good?” He asked with fear, and Keegan shook his head. 

“It was an armor piercing shot that tore straight through his vest. The bullet went right through him. In his back, out his chest. His vest is holding back a lot of the blood, but he’s still going to bleed out if we don’t get him to the team soon.” He stated clearly, and Logan’s breath stopped. 

“No….” He glanced up, seeing a few of their own soldiers watching the road a few hundred meters away. He recognized one of them, and his eyes widened. 

“MARON!!” He yelled. The Corporal glanced over, and Logan pointed at the two men next to him, then signaled him over. Maron ran down the road towards them, then slowed when he saw his Sergeant laying on the road, splashed with blood. His eyes widened, then he crouched next to Logan. 

“What happened?!” He asked quickly, but Keegan shook his head. 

“We need to get him to evac, NOW.” He ordered, and Maron nodded. Flicking a radio on his shoulder, he spoke into it.

“This is Corporal James Maron requesting  _ immediate  _ med-evac in the west quadrant! Sergeant Hesh Walker is down! I repeat, Sergeant Walker is down! Requesting  _ immediate  _ med-evac!” He shouted, then the reply crackled through. 

“Affirmative, Corporal. Med-evac is on the way. Hold tight.” It ordered, and Maron let go of the radio. Logan put his hand on his brother’s shoulder, shaking his head. 

“Just hang on, David...please.” He murmured, looking down at his only family left, curled in pain. Hesh’s gritted teeth were stained red, and his eyes were squeezed shut from agony. Keegan held him steady, looking up at Logan. His solemn eyes gave Logan an impression he didn’t want to have. 

“No. He’s going to make it, Keegan. He has to. He’s going to make it….” Logan pronounced, and Keegan gave a wary glance but kept down any words. He just looked down at his best friend with fear.

_ ‘Come on, buddy….We’ve still got a war to finish.’ _

* * *

 

 

Hesh’s pain was unbearable. Everything hurt excruciatingly. He barely heard the helicopter landing, or the people shouting around him. Only the dull thumping of the helicopter blades echoed in his ears, matching the thud of his heart. 

He could feel someone lifting him up, multiple people. One person was always by his side, shouting frantically as he was carried away. They held his hand tightly, their other hand on his shoulder as they loaded him into the chopper. 

He felt his vest get stripped off, to which he barely held back a scream of pain. Then he felt a pressure applied to his stomach, and he flinched in agony. Even the smallest movement sliced through him in the most intense pain he’d ever had. 

But that hand holding his….. Holding him tightly and caringly…. Hesh’s eyes barely opened as he gritted his blood stained teeth, and he could see a blurry outline of the person holding his hand. They stared down at him, and Hesh felt a tear drop onto his cheek from them. Their voice slowly faded into his ears. 

“....Hesh.....David, just hang on!....” The voice cried pleadingly, and Hesh blinked a few times, eyes heavy. 

“Logan…” 

His voice came out in just a breath, and the hand tightened around his. 

“David, stay with me!!” His brother shouted, the words echoing in Hesh’s head. Hesh opened his mouth to say something, but no noise managed to come out. He tasted blood, and he choked a little. Coughing, it spurted from his mouth, dripping down his chin. Logan’s hand on his shoulder tightened, and Hesh cringed as he felt the pressure on his stomach again. His warm, blood soaked stomach. The wetness on his back worried him. More blood…. 

He knew how hurt he was. He knew this wasn’t any ordinary wound. He knew that he had an unlikely chance of survival. He took this in with a heavy heart, but all of it washed away with a new wave of pain. 

As his head started to fall to the side, a hand held it up, and another person was suddenly next to him. 

“Come on, David….just keep your eyes open…” The voice said, then Hesh’s brain distinguished it as his best friend. Keegan looked down at Hesh with the same caring eyes as Logan, worried and sad. Hesh turned his gaze ever so slightly, all he could manage, to his brother. He weakly tightened his fingers around Logan’s hand, and he took a shaky breath. 

“Logan…” His brother’s name quietly escaped his lips as his eyes closed finally, unable to keep them open any longer. Everything started to drone out again, but he felt a hand shaking his shoulder.

“DAVID!!” That same caring voice shouted. Hesh’s head throbbed in pain, and the tight hold of unconsciousness that he had been fighting so hard against finally consumed him. 

“DAVID, STAY WITH ME!!!”


	3. Memories

_**20 years earlier** _

_Nine-year-old David chased his seven-year-old brother around his yard, laughing as he did. Logan screamed with laughter._

_"You can't catch me!" He taunted, and David smirked. He spun around the tree Logan ran towards, then grabbed him as he flew past. He pulled Logan to the ground, tackling him down. Logan continued to giggle, and David pinned his brother to the ground._

_"I can't catch you, Logan, huh? Yeah!" He said triumphantly, and Logan squirmed under him._

_"Let me up!" He shouted, but David picked him up, holding him tightly, no escape in sight for his little brother._

_"What? And free my prisoner?" David said, and Logan kicked and flailed in David's arms._

_"David, let me go!" He giggled again, and David carried him over to their tire swing. Letting Logan go, he smiled._

_"Come on. Get on!" He told his brother, and Logan jumped up, hopping on. David began to push his brother on the swing, Logan moving back and forth to make the swing go higher._

_"David! Jump on!" He shouted, and David nodded. The next time the swing passed him, he jumped for it, grabbing the edge, and holding on tightly. He looked down at his brother, who grinned gleefully, his bright blue eyes shining. David held the chain and pulled on it, making the swing move higher. Logan closed his eyes as his face sported a huge grin, and David smiled. Logan giggled._

_"Higher!" He shouted, and David grinned. He pulled the chain again, then pushed against the tire with his leg, and the swing soared high above the ground, up towards the sky, then plummeted back down to the ground only to immediately swing up towards the sun again. Logan stuck his arms out wide, letting himself feel like a bird, free to fly in the vast world. Sometimes for hours, they would play like this. After five minutes of more laughing and swinging, Logan glanced up at his brother, then looked over at their clubhouse._

_"Can we go to the clubhouse?" He asked, and David nodded._

_"Yeah. Hang on a second." He looked down at the ground, then in one swift movement, he jumped off, rolling to his feet. He grabbed the chain of the swing, gradually slowing it to a stop. Logan took a deep breath, then jumped down off of it. He ran to their clubhouse, perched on a platform that he and David had built themselves._

_The small outpost held all the treasures the boys needed; toy soldiers, toy guns, snacks, water, books, and anything to be used for messing around outside. Even David's pocket knife that their dad had given to him for his birthday was gently laid on the shelf._

_Logan ran in, flopping onto the pile of folded blankets they used as a bunk when they would stay in the fort for a night._

_David ducked under the doorway, then sat next to his brother, who held a toy soldier, examining it carefully. His playful nature from only moments ago had faded, and his face was flat. David frowned, then put his hand on his little brother's shoulder._

_"Hey...what is it?" He asked, and Logan looked up at him with his huge eyes, clenching the toy soldier._

_"When's Dad coming home? Do you think something happened? He didn't answer the radio call earlier, and he and the infantry were having trouble with those enemy fighters, and-"_

_David pulled his brother into a hug, quieting him._

_"Logan, Dad's fine. You know him. He's the strongest man we'll ever meet. He's an Army Captain. He knows what he's doing. He'll be home soon, Logan. Don't worry. Until he does, I'll take care of you." David said softly, and Logan took a deep breath, holding his brother close._

_"I love you, David. You're the best big brother ever." He said, his voice muffled into David's shirt. David smiled, leaning his head on top of his baby brother's scruffy dirty blonde hair, compared against the_ _short_ _neat cut of his own dark brown. He held Logan closer, closing his eyes._

_"I'll always look after you Logan. You know that." He said. Logan raised his head to look into his brother's light brown eyes._

_"You'll always look after me?" He asked, and David nodded with a smile._

_"I promise." He said, and Logan gave a toothy grin, then he pushed his brother back onto the bunk, falling onto him. He laughed, hugging his brother tightly. David sighed, rubbing Logan's head, mussing up his already messy hair._

_"We'll watch out for each other, buddy. Right?" He asked, and Logan nodded, his eyes closed as he pressed his face into David's shoulder._

_"Mmhmm. I'll protect you too, David. Always. Cos you're my brother, and I love you." David grinned, then nodded happily._

_"I love you too, Logan."_

_**~** _

**~**

_**10 ½ years ago...** _

_Eighteen-year-old David held his gun up, staring down the sight at the target. He then glanced over at his sixteen-year-old younger brother, then sighed when he saw the struggle he was having. David put down his gun, then walked over to Logan. Putting his hand on his brother's shoulder, David met Logan's eyes._

_"Hey. Let me show you." He told his brother, and Logan nodded sheepishly._

_"I feel dumb. I don't even know how to aim a gun properly..." he muttered, and David shook his head._

_"You're not dumb, Logan. Not even close. The only reason is that Dad never took you shooting with me. It's okay, I'll help you." His brother offered, and Logan smiled._

_David put the gun in his brother's hands, then looked down at him._

_"Front hand sturdy. You need to be able to hold it steady to lock onto targets," he said, moving Logan's hand slightly up the body of the gun, and Logan nodded, tightening his grip. David nodded, then looked down at Logan again._

_"Trigger finger close, but when there isn't a threat, rest it on the edge of the gun, not hovering over the trigger. That's just an accident waiting to happen. Trust me, I learned that one the hard way." He told Logan with a gentle chuckle, and his little brother snickered. David shook his head with another small chuckle, then held his brother's shoulders._

_"Okay, now hold the butt of the gun against your shoulder, comfortably but strongly. You need it as support. Eye to the sight, focusing on the target." He explained, and Logan did just that. Holding the gun up, he pressed it against his shoulder, then put his eye up to look down the sight. David nodded towards the target, then picked up his own gun, readying it quickly._

_"Find your target...," he said, finger hovering over the trigger._

_"...then fire." He pulled the trigger, and the semi-automatic M120 fired, the three shots that he had pulled off hitting the target squarely on._

_David looked up from the scope to his brother._

_"Now you try," He said, and Logan nodded slowly, biting his lip. He took a deep breath, putting his eye to the scope and steadying the gun in his hands. His finger went over the trigger, then he pulled off four shots._

_All four hit the target almost perfectly where David's shots had, the fourth hitting close to the center._

_Logan took his eye away from the scope with a grin, then looked up with a smile at his brother, who nodded._

_"Nice job, bud," He said with a smile, rubbing Logan's hair. Logan smirked, then sighed, holding the gun down, finger away from the trigger like David taught him._

_"Thanks, David. I....honestly, I don't think I would have made it this far if I didn't have you to look after me. You've taught me so much about becoming a soldier. I owe it all to you." Logan said, and David smiled, then put his arm around his brother._

_"Ah, it's my job as a big brother. Gotta take care of my little brother. Someone's gotta keep you safe." He said, and Logan grinned._

_David sighed, then nodded towards the main base behind them._

_"Come on. Let's head back in. We can show Dad your shooting later." He said, and Logan nodded as they turned to walk back._

_Logan glanced up at his big brother in his uniform._

_T_ _an camouflage cargo pants tucked into tan combat boots, his light grey short sleeve shirt tucked into the lip of his pants. The small tattoo of two red stars on the back of his right arm was barely visible under the edge of his t-shirt sleeve._

_David's dog tags hung around his neck, matching Logan's. David looked perfectly like a soldier. He walked like one, stood like one, carried the persona of a strong soldier, even at only eighteen._

_Logan, however, felt like he was a child. But wearing his own uniform, having the gun in his hands and wearing his loyalty to the American Army around his neck, he felt older already._

_He felt grown up. David was teaching him everything he needed to know about being a soldier. And every moment he spent with him, Logan felt he was that much closer to being out on the field, next to his brother, fighting side by side to protect each other._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There. A nice happy chapter that reminisces about the boys' childhood.
> 
> No promises that I can provide the same for the next chapter.


End file.
